# Prince Dead at 57 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [April 21, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828 "2016-04-21T16:54:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/41 "2016-04-21T17:47:32Z")
So apparently his plane made an emergency landing recently so he could be taken to a hospital and he was later released. Any word on what the complaint was and if was related to his death? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/42 "2016-04-21T17:49:50Z")
Fun fact: “Prince” was his actual real name. Born [Prince Rogers Nelson.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)) ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/43 "2016-04-21T17:50:05Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > 2016-The year the music died. God is planning an epic concert. ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/44 "2016-04-21T17:50:12Z")
Horrible news; he was such an amazing talent and the world is a worse place for him not being here. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/45 "2016-04-21T17:52:16Z")
Another Prince memory from my youth, this time with dad: I was 16, watching a repeat performance of the '91 VMAs with my dad, and Prince comes out with his ass cheeks hanging out. Well, that was my dad’s “What the hell is wrong with musicians today” moment. Anyway, the fact that he made each of my parents clutch their pearls on separate occasions during my childhood just proves to me that the man oozed rock-n-roll. He is (was) what rockstars are supposed to be. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/46 "2016-04-21T17:54:10Z")
I first saw Prince perform when he was still knocking around the Twin Cities, pre-fame. I was at a bar called the River Serpent and a very slight man brushed by me as he made his way to the stage. It was Prince. Even in a loud, crowded bar you could tell he had a unique sound. It didn’t surprise me a bit when, a few years later, he broke big. Fifty-seven is far to young to go. And from the flu of all things. Very sad. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/47 "2016-04-21T17:55:21Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > I’m just getting over it myself. For a couple days there, I thought about going to the hospital, it was so bad. Me too… but there’s little (save, keeping you filled with fluids) the hospital can do… you’ve just got to fight through it. Hope you’re feeling better! ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/48 "2016-04-21T17:55:54Z")
Being from Minneapolis this is extra shocking. He was pretentious but immensely talented. Just wow. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/49 "2016-04-21T18:01:37Z")
I’m in shock. This is a very bad year for music. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/50 "2016-04-21T18:02:33Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Being from Minneapolis this is extra shocking. I know. How rare and disgraceful for anything non-boring to come out of Minnesota! Garrison Keillor has his work cut out for him make up for this! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/51 "2016-04-21T18:08:38Z")
[Here he is winning his Oscar for PURPLE RAIN](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk3xZxguRCg). RIP. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/52 "2016-04-21T18:08:39Z")
Holy shit. He was my favourite artist, I saw him four times (each time with a different group of friends) when he played Wembley Arena back in the early 90’s. I’ve owned multiple times his albums compared to any other artist or band (plus his movies), including the unofficial, black market ones. He was a complete jerk but when you’re _that_ talented and see the likes of Beiber or West have millions of adoring fans it must piss you off somewhat - not that Prince doesn’t have millions of fans, just that for me I’m credulous at the ‘artists’ that are manufactured and still are popular. For him it must’ve been incredulity bordering on despair. RIP Prince Rogers Nelson. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/53 "2016-04-21T18:08:50Z")
I am just landing from a flight and seeing this. I am heartbroken. ---
**Author:** ![stanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@stanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stanger)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/54 "2016-04-21T18:09:00Z")
I am truly sad to hear this. Although I have not been a big fan over the years, I remember well his early days when MTV was young and relevant and his music videos were some of the best at the time. Not too long ago, he was the musical guest on SNL. His performance was good, the band and backup were tight, and for this back-in-the-day fan, it was good. . . . . . but then . . . . Then tempo changed, and he started rockin’. Then he turned loose on his guitar. Oh, Lord . . this was the man at his best and the magic I remembered. I will not forget. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/55 "2016-04-21T22:03:55Z")
Damn, and another of the greats gone. I don’t know his catalog very well, but what I do know is excellent, and he was one of the mainstream artists of the eighties who helped me make it through this dreck-infested decade for music. 'Twas funny, a stiff news announcer on the radio here mentioned his “unusual high voice”, and I had a good laugh because the git who wrote that chestnut obviously only knew “Kiss”, doesn’t know the concept of a falsetto voice and missed on commenting on a voice that really had, well, _range_. Great singer, as good as Sly Stone. Heard he was good on guitar, too. It’s a real pity that he was so elusive during the last, well, 25 years and has successfully managed to exclude his music from the web (from legal ways, at least). I’m thinking of my 12 and 16 year old nephews, who certainly don’t have the faintest clue who this “Prince” person is every old person is talking about right now, while they definitely have heard about Michael Jackson (and a host of others from that generation). ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/56 "2016-04-21T22:13:26Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Being from Minneapolis this is extra shocking. He was pretentious but immensely talented. Just wow. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I know. How rare and disgraceful for anything non-boring to come out of Minnesota! Garrison Keillor has his work cut out for him make up for this! I think Laggard was saying that he/she, like Prince, is from Minnesota, but it’s hard to tell. Get your flu shots _and_ avoid dangling modifiers, people! Oh, and RIP Prince. Besides the songs he performed himself, he also helped launch The Bangles into fame with _Manic Monday_ and Sinead O’Connor with _Nothing Compares 2 U_. Probably some others too. He was a genuine talent. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/57 "2016-04-22T23:06:43Z")
I still can’t believe it. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/58 "2016-04-22T23:34:04Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I still can’t believe it. Me either. He seemed fit and twenty years younger than his real age. He was supposed to outlive us. If the percocet stories are true, then I’m pissed. I’m pissed that we lost Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Phil Hartman (indirectly), and now Prince to drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/59 "2016-04-22T23:39:27Z")
This is pretty cool. Prince and The Muppets [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgYEsfBuHoo) ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/60 "2016-04-23T00:01:20Z")
I am just devastated. I loved him like I do my own family, and I don’t care if that sounds weird. I started being a fan at 14. He was my favorite through my teen years, and then my twenties as a young woman and then as a young mother, and then as a more mature woman, with teenagers and young adults, and now at this stage of my life, as well. I collected most of his records, and I put him on a lot in the car, and I put him on the stereo in the living room a lot, and I have for years and years. On Google Play and iTunes, on shuffle you can’t go 2 songs without one of his popping up and often multiple songs of his in a row. What I am trying to say is that I’ve listened to a LOT of Prince, for 30-some years, and his music has been pretty much the soundtrack of my life. I used to think that phrase was kind of hokey but there it is there. I just can’t even with this.☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828.md?page=4)